Plan Hamilton: Comprehensive Plan Update

PURPOSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

The Comprehensive Plan for the City of Hamilton serves as a guide for the promotion of high quality and livable built environments that will promote and enhance the City of Hamilton’s image by integrating land use planning, transportation, public facilities, housing, education, economic development, and the environment. This plan was created through input from citizens, community leaders and city administrators.

The future of the City of Hamilton will be influenced by a variety of factors. Some will occur on a large scale, such as shifts in the global economy. Other factors will be more immediate, such as changes in local development trends. The City’s Comprehensive Plan provides direction as it relates to short and long-term goals, and it will also prepare Hamilton to adapt to changes brought on by external factors.

The Comprehensive Plan’s objectives, strategies and actions establish the needed framework for the City of Hamilton to become a Sustainable/Regional Hub in the Cincinnati - Dayton Metroplex through smart growth concepts contained within this Comprehensive Plan. The city must recognize current trends and changes in the local and regional economy that will impact the future of the region and the City of Hamilton.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

The City of Hamilton’s Comprehensive Plan is based on the following Smart Growth concepts: build new neighborhoods in a compact form; connect street systems that are designed to balance auto, pedestrian, and bicycle movement; maintain and enhance existing infrastructure; actively pursue redevelopment, including infill residential development; encourage mixed-use development, preferably near transit service; connect open spaces, parks, and trails into a system; protect sensitive habitat and watershed land; build mixed-density and mixed-income housing; recognize traditional downtowns and urban neighborhoods as being a critical anchor for the economic and community vitality of a region; promote stable neighborhood schools as a focal point for all adults, children, civic groups, and businesses; establish predictability in the development process; development projects that enhance the economy, the community, and the environment receive expedited approval. (Fleissig and Jacobsen p.4)

In conjunction with the above listed Smart Growth Tools, the City of Hamilton’s Comprehensive Plan includes key components of the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana (OKI) Regional Council of Governments Strategic Regional Policy Plan to support smart growth policies. This regional policy plan, adopted in early 2005, lays the framework for a regional convergence of coordinated, comprehensive planning by all 190-member jurisdictions of OKI. OKI “is an association of local governments, business organizations, and communication groups committed to development collaborative strategies, plans and programs to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of the tri-state region that includes Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties in southwest Ohio; Boone, Campbell and Kenton Counties in northern Kentucky; and Dearborn County in southwest Indiana. OKI is also the federally-designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation planning, and is the tri-state’s only multi-purpose regional entity that is in a position to plan for and coordinate intergovernmental solutions to growth-related problems.” (OKI, Strategic Regional Policy Plan p.5)

STRUCTURE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

The plan update contains 12 chapters that address issues through a format of objectives, strategies, and actions. Objectives are the overall goals for the future. Strategies outline possible methods for the City to achieve its objectives and actions are specific tasks to effectively implement the various objectives throughout the plan.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:

The plan update contains 12 chapters that address issues through a format of objectives, strategies, and actions. Objectives are the overall goals for the future. Strategies outline possible methods for the City to achieve its objectives and actions are specific tasks to effectively implement the various objectives throughout the plan.

The City’s Comprehensive Plan reflects the needs and desires of the community it serves. Various community involvement methods were utilized in the comprehensive planning process which included: mailed surveys; Vision 2020 website; specialized committees whose work focused on specific topics; the Vision 2020 Update Executive Committee; and conducted public participation polls at various community events such as the Butler County Fair, River Days Festival, and Business Expo.

THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN ACTION:

Since The City of Hamilton’s Comprehensive Plan is not intended to be a static document, it is important that community leadership, city administrators, and its citizens actively pursue the implementation of the actions contained within this plan to ensure a vibrant, sustainable, and economically diverse community.